ALL IN THE FAMILY

18 years. 2 generations. 1 restaurant.

By Nicole Sweeney

The young Musa boys used to come to their parents' Middle Eastern restaurant on Mitchell Street, perch on the bar and drink kiddie cocktails.

Eventually, a belly dancer would persuade them to dance, and they would make up to $20 in tips as they attempted to shimmy around the restaurant.

Hanging out at the family's business was just part of life for the Musa siblings, who now range in age from 7 to 24.

They were soon put to work, and 10-year-old Alaa was anxious to get started.

"It was an excuse for me to spend more time with my dad," said Alaa, now 21. "I remember thinking, if I'm going to keep coming, I'm going to have to be productive. I tried to impress him."

He would stand on a milk carton to wash dishes and hustle around with a broom. When career day came in elementary school, he would wear his father's chef hat and proudly declare his desire to run the family's restaurant.

Meanwhile, Casablanca migrated from Mitchell Street to Oakland Avenue and then back to Mitchell again. But it closed four years ago when the family patriarch decided to retire and travel.

Jesse wasn't surprised when his sons decided to reopen.

"They love the restaurant business, and I love it, too," he said.

He didn't even mind when his boys called him out of retirement to work in the kitchen.

"I love to cook," Jesse said. "I stay in the kitchen 15 hours, (but) it feels like three or four hours."

"He's the type of person who has to stay busy," Alaa said with a smile. "What's cool about my dad is that he's 56, but his personality is like 35, and he works like a 21-year-old."

The young men divvy up the territory. Alaa is the office guy who handles paperwork and advertising; Ramzi helps his dad in the kitchen; and Nasser oversees the dining area. Other family members pitch in: Their mother made all the window treatments, and one of their sisters helped with the hiring.

And they can count on future labor from their two youngest brothers, who are 7 and 13.

"Once they get older, we'll put them to work," Nasser said with a grin.

The next generation has made Casablanca their own. They kept the original menu but added hookahs and expanded the bar. And they have big dreams: They hope to make it a chain, with each brother heading up a location.

"An advantage that we have is that we have each other," Alaa said.

"People think it's hard to get along with your family, but it's not as long as you know not to push his buttons and he knows not to push your buttons," Alaa said.

And they have a golden rule: Whatever happens at work, stays at work.

They wouldn't want it any other way. Said Alaa: "I'd rather be in business with my family than anyone else."